THIRD OFFENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1936, Page 8

THIRD OFFENCE.

INDECENT ASSAULT. MENTAL ABNORMALITY? «MAY CONQUER IMPULSES." A man who had boon sentenced to imprisonment on two previous occasions for similar offences at the Supreme Court was this morning ordered 12 months' reformative detention for indecent assault on a young girl. The accused. Arthur Gordon Kale, was found guilty by the jury last week and the jury recommended that he be medically examined. Mr. W. Noble, who appeared for Kale, stated that he was 32 years of ago, and a married man with two children. He was a good worker and of good conduct apart from this one extraordinary defect in his character —a perverted instinct no doubt over which he had no control. Fourteen years ago and again nine years ago lie had been sentenced to gaol for a similar offence. It might be that as science progressed some means would bo discovered of eradicating this type of criminal and his perverted tendency, said counsel. In the meantime gaol seemed to be the only remedy. Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, said that a medical examination had revealed no mental abnormality. Mr. Justice Fair said that imprisonment would have to be inflicted. The accused had abstained from such offences for seven years. His crime might be due to some mental or physical abnormality and it was in a different class from such offences as carnal knowledge, or attempted carnal knowledge. Children must be protected from men like the accused. The reports concerning accused's conduct with his family would be taken into account. "I think that if the accused makes an attempt, as he has done in the past, to control these impulses, he may conquer them. In the belief that he has tried in the past and will do so in the future, a sentence of 12 months' reformative detention will be imposed," said his Honor.